Matthias Schick

System specification and validation of a noseband pressure sensor for measurement of ruminating and eating behavior in stable-fed cows

Detailed specification of a novel scientific monitoring device for ruminating and eating activity in dairy cows.Evaluation of the measuring performance under field conditions in stable-fed cows.Convincing agreement between direct observations and automated measurements of chewing activity. Rumination and eating behavior are important indicators for assessing health and well-being in cattle. The objective of this study was to develop and validate a novel scientific monitoring device for automated measurement of ruminating and eating behavior in stable-fed cows to provide research with a measuring instrument for automated health and activity monitoring. The RumiWatch noseband sensor (Itin+Hoch GmbH, Liestal, Switzerland) incorporates a noseband pressure sensor, a data logger with online data analysis, and software. Automated measurements of behavioral parameters are based on generic algorithms without animal-specific learning data. Thereby, the system records and classifies the duration of chewing activities and enables users to quantify individual ruminating and eating jaw movements performed by the animal. During the course of the development, two releases of the system-specific software RumiWatch Converter (RWC) were created and taken into account for the validation study. The results generated by the two software versions, RWC V0.7.2.0 and RWC V0.7.3.2, were compared with direct behavioral observations. Direct observations of cow behavior were conducted on 14 Swiss dairy farms with an observation time of 1h per animal, resulting in a total sample of 60 dairy cows. Agreement of sensor measurement and direct observation was expressed as Spearman correlation coefficients (rs) for the pooled sample. For consolidated classification of sensor data (1-h resolution), correlations for rumination time were rs=0.91 (RWC V0.7.2.0) and rs=0.96 (RWC 0.7.3.2), and for eating time rs=0.86 (RWC 0.7.2.0) and rs=0.96 (RWC V0.7.3.2). Both software versions provide a high standard of validity and measuring performance for ruminating and eating behavior. The high to very high correlations between direct observation and sensor data demonstrate that the RumiWatch noseband sensor was successfully developed and validated as a scientific monitoring device for automated measurement of ruminating and eating activity in stable-fed dairy cows.

Improving ergonomics in milking parlors: Empirical findings for optimal working heights in five milking parlor types

Milking postures have shifted from seated milking in tethered stalls to milking in a standing position in parlors. However, the musculoskeletal workload of dairy farmers remains high. Previous studies have shown that different working heights affect ergonomics, but they could not objectively evaluate and quantify the workload. The aim of the present study was to assess the effect of working height in different milking parlor types on the milkers workload during the task of attaching milking clusters. Computer-assisted recording and long-term analysis of movements were used to record positions of joints and body regions while performing certain tasks in terms of angular degrees of joints (ADJ) according to the neutral zero method. The 5th, 50th, and 95th percentiles described the distribution of angular degree values measured for each joint. The ADJ were evaluated according to international standards and other scientific literature on the issue to assess the muscular load. The workload was compared between 5 parlor types (auto tandem, herringbone 30°, herringbone 50°, parallel, and rotary) on 15 farms with 2 subjects per parlor and 1 milking period per subject. The working height was defined as a coefficient based on the milkers body height, the floor level, and the cows udder height. The data recorded during the attachment task were analyzed using generalized linear mixed-effects models taking into account the hierarchical experimental design. The results indicated that the interaction of the cows udder height, the milkers body height, and the parlor type had a larger effect on ergonomics than each parameter had independently. The interaction was significant in at least 1 of the 3 percentiles in 28 out of 31 ADJ. The postural differences between parlor types, however, were minor. A milking health formula was created to calculate the ideal depth of pit by considering the parlor type, the milkers height, and the mean herd udder height. This formula can be used to develop individual recommendations for future parlor construction.

Lower working heights decrease contraction intensity of shoulder muscles in a herringbone 30° milking parlor

Musculoskeletal disorders have been a main concern in milkers for many years. To improve posture, a formula was developed in a previous study to calculate ergonomically optimal working heights for various milking parlor types. However, the working height recommendations based on the formula for the herringbone 30° parlor were broad. To clarify the recommendations for the optimal working height, we investigated the effect of working height on upper limb and shoulder muscle contraction intensities. We evaluated 60 milking cluster attachment procedures in a herringbone 30° milking parlor in 7 men and 9 women. Specifically, we examined the effect of working height on muscle contraction intensity of 4 arm and shoulder muscles bilaterally (flexor carpi ulnaris, biceps brachii, deltoideus anterior, and upper trapezius) by using surface electromyography. The working heights (low, medium, and high), which reflect the ratio of the subjects height to the height of the udder base, were used in the milking health formula to determine and fit individual depth of pits. Data were evaluated for each muscle and arm side in the functions holding and attaching. Statistical analysis was performed using linear mixed effects models, where muscle contraction intensity served as a target variable, whereas working height coefficient, sex, subject height, and repetition were treated as fixed effects, and repetition group nested in working height nested in subject was considered a random effect. Contraction intensities decreased with decreasing working height for the deltoideus anterior and upper trapezius, but not for the flexor carpi ulnaris or the biceps brachii muscles in both holding and attaching arm functions. We found that milking at a lower working height reduced muscle contraction intensities of the shoulder muscles. Women showed higher contraction intensities than men, whereas subject height had no effect. The study demonstrated that a lower working height decreased muscular load during milking. These lower working heights should be used within the recommendations made by the milking health formula for the herringbone 30°. Working heights could be adjusted effectively for milkers of varying body height. Future studies should therefore use the milking health formula as a tool to objectively compare and improve the accuracy of the working height coefficients.